A few months ago, I was incredibly honoured and privileged to be invited as Alumni Speaker at the UCL Class of 2023 Graduation Ceremony for the Medical School.
When I first got the invite this summer, I thought it was a scam email, it was so unexpected and hard to believe! It still feels surreal that any of this happened, that I got to be part of the academic procession, ushered in with a whole bunch of trumpets which surely felt like a movie scene, that I got to attend a graduation ceremony from the other side of the stage, that I had to speak in front of an audience of over a 1000 graduands and guests (yikes!), and that I got to share some anecdotes and personal reflections with an incredibly talented group of students that I was so incredibly proud of! I was so grateful to be joined by my dad, PhD supervisor Timothy Humphrey, and mentor who travelled in from Dublin, Brighton, and Oxford, supporting me from their own special seats in the Royal Box (say what?!) at the Royal Festival Hall. Everything about the night was unreal!
What!? Once I became certain it wasn't a scam and I recovered from the shock (and excitement), I realized it was not just an honor but equally a huge responsibility. Everything I put out into the world has an effect on someone-how they think, how they see themselves, and what they aspire to. To get a stage so big, to speak to the hundreds of graduates on one of the most important days of their lives, I didn't want this to be a typical boring graduation speech that you forget by the time the ceremony is over. I wanted to make sure what I shared with them was meaningful and purposeful and stayed with them a lifetime. That it was something they'd remind themselves of when they feel hopeless or disappointed or when they start being hard on themselves.
So after much deliberation and prayer, I realized the key messages I wanted to, rather I NEEDED to, convey to the young graduates were lessons beautifully woven into the life stories of my own parents-how different they both were as students at medical school, how different their career trajectories ended up being, and yet how successful they both are in their own ways.
Here is a story that teaches us that success is not about grades or being smart; it's about never giving up in pursuit of your goals (my dad's success). Yet paradoxically, success is also not about your achievements or career trajectory; it's about your dedication and service to others (my mom's success). You aren't successful only when you become a professor or a leader; you are successful every day of your life when you have a positive impact on those around you. And most importantly, we need to learn to slow down and be kind to ourselves. We are human beings, not human doings! You are not going to fall behind because you're not following anybody. You're carving your own path in life, and you can define success in your own way.
Thank you for having me UCL, it was such an unreal and enjoyable evening! A special thank you to Selena Coles for being the nicest host ever!
Alhamdulillah, feeling very grateful 🙏
28 сен 2024
